Magnetic board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game is disclosed including a transparent game board and magnetized playing pieces. The game board is mounted vertically for play with a tic-tac-toe design visible on the two opposite faces of the transparent board. Supports are provided on both board surfaces within the pattern to receive the magnetized pieces and winning and losing combinations of the pieces are arranged by the players on these supports with the players&#39;&#39; skill plus a random choice of the magnetic polarity of the pieces as played determining the outcome of the game.

[ 51 July 4,1972

6/1949 Munn.................................273/l30A .273/130 A [54]MAGNETIC BOARD GAME 2,474,365 2,819,904 1/1958Nelsonctal......................

APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Ferdinand J. Wszalek, 606 Nichols SL, primary Ei -D lb B,L0we

Utica, 13501 Attorney-Norman Nllolland Nov. 23, 1970 ABSTRACT [22]Filed:

3,082,004 3/1963 Friedman...........................273/l30A4Claims,4DrawingFigures MAGNETIC BOARD GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention is a novel game for two players in whichthe suspense and interest in the game are increased and in which itsoutcome is influenced by a random selection of the positions ofmagnetized playing pieces during the game. More particularly, the gameincludes a vertical playing board and accompanying magnetized playingpieces which are played on the board in a game which combines skill andchance in a game of interest for persons of all ages.

There are numerous prior games utilizing game boards and individualplaying pieces where the players attempt to lay out a particular winningpattern of the playing pieces with or without any knowledge of theposition of each others pieces. The present game is based upon thewell-known game of tictac-toe with a novel modification which adds acombined element of skill and chance to the game based upon an arbitraryor random positioning of magnetic poles provided in the play mg pieces.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new andnovel game comprising a game board and magnetic playing pieces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game of thetic-tac-toe variety which incorporates additional elements of skill andof chance by the use of magnetized playing pieces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide th novel type ofgameboard which has elements of chance and excitement for players of allages and wherein an element of chance makes the game attractive for twoplayers who may have differing ages or skills.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a relativelysimple game with means for playing a variety of games which incorporatechance and skill and which may be of differing grades of difficulty.

Other and further objects of invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and isshown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specificationwherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view illustrating the game board and playingpieces with a game in progress;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the game board of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary enlarged detailed views illustrating theaction of the magnetized playing pieces when played in repelling andattracting positions respectively during the game.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in FIG. 1, thegame I in accordance with the present invention preferably comprises aflat and preferably transparent game board 2 adapted for beingdetachably mounted on a suitable slotted base block 3. The design 4 forthe particular playing pattern to be used on the board 2 may be affixedto either or both of the board surfaces. In the particular boardillustrated, a regular tic-tac-toe design 4 is shown which may be usedfor convenient tic-tac-toe or other related games, as for example, agame where the winning player at tempts to first form a row of threepieces 5 or to place a playing piece 5 in each square of the design 4before his opponent.

Support means are provided to removably position the playing pieces 5 inthe appropriate squares or other playing areas of the board 2. Apreferred embodiment of these supports ing his play. For this reason,the ledges 6 preferably have a relatively smooth surface to facilitatethe rejection or removal of the opponents piece 5.

Although the playing pieces may take almost any desired form as long asthey will remain on the supports 6 after being placed there, aconvenient form for the pieces 5 comprises a rectangular block asillustrated in the drawing. The pieces 5 each include magnets 7 arrangedto provide opposite magnetic poles on opposite sides of the playingpieces 5 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing. The magnets 7 areso arranged with respect to the pieces 5 that the players cannotdetermine the polarities of the individual playing pieces before playingthem.

This is a feature which adds the element of chance and suspense to thegame. A player, during the course of the game, may be in a positionwhere he may win the game or may stay in the game if he can displace hisopponents playing piece 5 from a particular ledge 6 on the board. Thisresult can only be obtained by the players making a correct guess as tothe appropriate position of his playing piece 5 which will repel hisopponents piece in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3, i.e., hav ing likepolarities on the adjacent ends of the magnet 7. The desired result ofremoving the opponents piece is seen to depend both upon the particularposition initially selected by the opponent and the position laterselected by the other player. If the other player ends up with a likepolarity for his piece 5 when placed onto the ledge 6 adjacent to theplaying board, the opponents piece 5 will be removed as illustrated inFIG. 3. On the other hand, if opposite polarities result from theparticular arrangement selected by the other player, the opponent spiece 5 will be attracted and will be more firmly held in position onthe playing board 1. This additional element of chance and selection isseen to add a significant element of suspense and interest to atic-tac-toe type of game or to other games such as where the playersmight be seeking to be the first one to occupy all ledges 6 or tootherwise make some predetermined arrangement such as an arrangement ofbattleships, or aircraft or other patterns which might be of interestfor a particular group of players.

The ledges 6 are spaced vertically and horizontally from one another sothat there are no disturbing magnetic forces between adjacent pieces 5on the same side of the board.

The board 1 is made of a suitable non-magnetic material which does notprovide any significant interference withthe magnetic fields of themagnets 7. A clear plastic is most desirable although other non-magneticmaterials may be used and apertured boards may take the place oftransparent boards to permit opponents to see each others plays.

It will be seen that a relatively simple game utilizing a game board andincluding magnetic pieces has been provided which lends itself to avariety of games which incorporate both skill and chance. Additionally,the game in accordance with the present invention, provides novel meansfor playing a variety of games which will be of interest to players ofall ages and in which an element of chance is incorporated which permitsthe game to be played between persons of differing ages or skills.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, I claim:

I. A magnetic game comprising the combination of a transparent gameboard, means for supporting said board in a generally vertical position,spaced article support members on opposite sides of said board with eachsupport member on one side of the board being opposite a support memberon the opposite side of the board, a plurality of playing piecesproportioned to be removably positioned in one of two alternatepositions on said support members and including magnets with oppositemagnetic poles being located adjacent to opposite ends of said playingpieces whereby similarly positioned playing pieces on opposite sides ofthe board at adjacent support members will attract one another andoppositely positioned playing pieces will repel one another, and each ofsaid support members being spaced sufficiently far away from othersupport members on the same side of the board so that playing

1. A magnetic game comprising the combination of a transparent gameboard, means for supporting said board in a generally vertical position,spaced article support members on opposite sides of said board with eachsupport member on one side of the board being opposite a support memberon the opposite side of the board, a plurality of playing piecesproportioned to be removably positioned in one of two alternatepositions on said support members and including magnets with oppositemagnetic poles being located adjacent to opposite ends of said playingpieces whereby similarly positioned playing pieces on opposite sides ofthe board at adjacent support members will attract one another andoppositely positioned playing pieces will repel one another, and each ofsaid support members being spaced sufficiently far away from othersupport members on the same side of the board so that playing piecespositioned on members on the same side of the board do not move oneanother.
 2. The game as claimed in claim 1 in which said support memberscomprise projecting ledges.
 3. The game as claimed in claim 1 in whichsaid game board comprises a plastic sheet.
 4. The game as claimed inclaim 1 in which said support members are arranged in a pattern ofhorizontal and vertical rows.